Access floor assembly and components therefor

ABSTRACT

A access floor assembly ( 10 ) having a plurality of floor panels ( 20 ), and a plurality of pedestals ( 12 ) for supporting the floor panels ( 20 ) above a sub-floor, and stringers ( 14 ), wherein the pedestals ( 12 ) and stringers ( 14 ) further comprise retaining means ( 30, 36 ) for retaining service items and other support structures for retaining service items, suspended above the sub-floor.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to access floor assemblies and, in particular, to access floor assemblies adapted to support service items beneath the access floor, whereby the service items are raised above a sub-floor.

BACKGROUND ART

Access floors are a common feature of many computer, media and communication rooms. Being raised above a concrete slab or other sub-floor by pedestals, access floors provide underlying space to conceal and arrange service items used to operate the computers or other interactive equipment located within the room. The service items may include, for instance, power cables, data cables, power boards, and air conditioning ducts. The floor panels which define the surface of an access floor are designed to be readily taken up and rearranged, upon prior removal of any overlying carpet or other floor coverings.

However, a problem with prior art access floors is that the cables beneath the floor panels are difficult to access and inspect because the sub-floor may be over 30 cm beneath the access floor and dimly lit. Another problem with prior art access floors is that it is often difficult to identify the origin, destination and purpose of many power and data cables running beneath access floors. Yet another problem with prior art access floors is that injuries are often sustained by people who accidently step into an open recess in an access floor where a floor panel has been removed to access cables, because the sub-floor may be over 30 cm beneath the access floor.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate these problems.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided an access floor assembly comprising a plurality of pedestals for supporting floor panels over a sub-floor, wherein the access floor assembly is adapted to support service items raised above the sub-floor.

In a preferred embodiment the access floor panel assembly further includes a plurality of stringers extending from one pedestal to another pedestal.

Either or both of the pedestals and the stringers may have retaining means for service items or other support structures for supporting service items. The retaining means may be hooks and the other support structures include trays adapted to be retained by the hooks.

The trays may have attached thereto one or more cable dividers for guiding and separating different sets of cables. Preferably, the cable dividers are adapted to display information regarding the cables that run alongside them.

In an alternate embodiment, retaining means may comprise ledges or horizontal flanges of either or both the pedestals and the stringers upon which the service items are retained directly or upon which other support structures are retained for the support of service items.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided an air conditioning duct for use in an access floor assembly comprising a plurality of pedestals for supporting a plurality of floor panels on a sub-floor, wherein the air conditioning duct is adapted to be supported in a position raised above the sub-floor by engaging retaining means incorporated on the pedestal.

Preferably, the air conditioning duct is adapted to be used in an access floor assembly that further comprises stringers extending from one pedestal to another pedestal, wherein the air conditioning duct is adapted to be supported in a position raised above the sub-floor by engaging retaining means incorporated on the stringers.

The air conditioning duct may be adapted to be supported in its raised position though the inclusion of flanges on the air conditioning duct which connect with hooks located on either or both the pedestals and stringers of the access floor assembly.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a pedestal for an access floor assembly for supporting floor panels over a sub-floor, wherein the pedestal has means for the retainment of service items above the sub-floor.

According to a still further aspect of the invention there is provided a stringer for an access floor assembly for supporting floor panels over a sub-floor, wherein the stringer has means for the retainment of service items above the sub-floor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an access floor according to one embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the access floor of FIG. 1, with an air conditioning duct supported thereto,

FIG. 3 is a partial side view of the access floor assembly of FIG. 2, showing the air conditioning duct supported thereto,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the air conditioning duct of FIGS. 2 and 3,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a section of the access floor assembly of FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the circled portion 25 of the access floor assembly shown in FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the stringer of the access floor assembly of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the pedestal of the access floor assembly of FIG. 1.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The access floor is shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of pedestals 12 which cooperate to support a plurality of access floor panels 20.

The access floor panels 20 may also be supported by stringers 14 and stringers 15 which run between the pedestals 12. The stringers 14 and 15 have a soft sealing member 32 affixed to their upper side so as to provide an air tight seal against the underside edges of adjacent access floor panels 20, which assists the operation of air conditioning.

As shown in the circled region 25 on FIGS. 5 and 6, the stringer 14 and pedestal 12 are connected by inserting a clip 24 (see FIG. 7) on the stringer 14 into a slot 34 on the pedestal 12 and inserting knobs 26 on the pedestal 12 into holes 28 on the stringer 14.

The stringer 14 has hooks 30 adapted to receive and support a plurality of trays 16. The stringer 15 does not have hooks 30 or holes 28. The trays 16 are raised off the sub-floor and support service items, such as data cables, power cables, power boards (which are not shown) to make the service items easier and safer to access from the surface of the access floor.

Alternatively, the trays 16 could be supported by hooks 36 placed directly on the platform 38 of pedestals 12 without the need for the stringers 14, as shown in FIG. 8.

A plurality of cable dividers 18 are used to separate one or more sets of cables (not shown) from one another (see FIGS. 1 and 5). The surface of the dividers 18 may be written on, in order to identify the origin, destination and purpose of the cables and thereby facilitate the orderly arrangement of the cables beneath the access floor panels 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the air conditioning ducts 22 have flanges 23 (shown in FIG. 4) which connect with the hooks 30 on the stringer 14 (shown in FIG. 7). Alternatively, the flanges 23 on the air conditioning ducts 22 could be supported by hooks directly on the pedestals 12 rather than on the stringers 14. The air conditioning ducts 22 may be comprised of discrete sections the length of an access floor panel 22, and be joined together at the time of installation of the support assembly 10.

By placing the trays 16 and the air conditioning ducts 22 in a position raised above the sub-floor, the present invention may prevent accidental injury to people who may walk across an access floor when a floor panel 20 has been removed to access service items. In the present invention, the person would step on the tray 16 which is close to the surface of the access floor; in the prior art, the person would drop significantly further to the sub-floor and may thereby sustain significant injuries.

An alternative means of supporting the trays 16 or the ducts 22 on the pedestals 12 or the stringers 14 above the sub-floor, other than using hooks could be used. For instance, the pedestals 12 or stringers 14 could comprise ledges which support the underside of the trays 16 or the ducts 22. Also, the trays 16 or the ducts 22 could be adapted to rest on a top surface of the pedestal 12 or the stringer 14.

It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in details of design and construction of the invention, without departing from the scope or ambit of the present invention. In particular the tray 16 could be made in different shapes and configurations and from various materials other than steel or metal mesh and still come within the scope of the invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention has an industrial application in the construction industry for commercial, industrial and office building environments which require access floors for particular applications. 

1. An access floor assembly for supporting service items raised above a sub-floor and comprising a plurality pedestals for supporting access floor panels over a sub-floor wherein the access floor.
 2. The access floor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of stringers extending from one pedestal to another pedestal.
 3. The access floor assembly of claim 1, wherein the pedestals have retaining means for supporting servie items or other support structures for supporting service items, at a point raised above the sub-floor.
 4. The access floor assembly of claim 2, wherein the stringers have retaining means for supporting service items or other support structures for supporting service items, at a point raised above the sub-floor.
 5. The access floor assembly of claim 3, wherein the other support structures for supporting service items above the sub-floor comprise a tray to be retained by said retaining means.
 6. The access floor assembly of claim 5, wherein the tray has attached thereto one or more cable dividers for guiding and separating different sets of cables.
 7. The access floor assembly of claim 3, wherein the serviced items comprise air conditioning ducts the air conditioning ducts are retained by the said retaining means.
 8. The access floor assembly of claim 7, wherein the air conditioning ducts are retained by the inclusion of flanges on the outside of the duct which engages the said retaining means.
 9. The access floor assembly of claim 1, wherein the retaining means comprises hooks.
 10. A pedestal for an access floor assembly for supporting the floor panels on a sub-floor, comprising retaining means for supporting service items or other support structures for supporting service items at a point above the sub-floor.
 11. The pedestal of claim 10, wherein the retaining means for the supporting serviced items or other support structures for supporting service items reaised above a sub-floor comprises at least one hook.
 12. The pedestal of claim 11, wherein the hook is located on a platform of a head of the pedestal.
 13. A stringer for supporting an access floor panel over a sub-floor, comprising retaining means for supporting service items or other support structures for supporting service items above the sub-floor.
 14. The stringer of claim 13, wherein the retaining means for supporting service items or other support structures for supporting service items above a sub-floor comprises at least one hook.
 15. The stringer of claim 14, comprising a plurality of hooks located along the lower edge of the stringer.
 16. An air conditioning duct for use in an access floor assembly having a plurality of pedestals for supporting a plurality of floor panels on a sub-floor, wherein the air conditioning duct is supported in a position raised above the sub-floor by engaging retaining means incorporated on the pedestals.
 17. The air conditioning duct of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of stringers that extend from one pedestal to another pedestal, and wherein the air conditioning duct is supported in a position raised above the sub-floor by engaging retaining means on the plurality of stringers.
 18. The air conditioning duct of claim 16 wherein the said retaining means comprises hooks, and wherein the air conditioning duct is retained by flanges on the aid conditioning ducts that engage with the hooks. 